I have had the privilege of knowing Ruthie Hubbard since I returned to Columbus 10 years ago. Ruthie is one of those people who absolutely loves her garden and isn’t afraid to get dirty and do the things necessary to keep it looking good. In addition to her passion for gardening, Ruthie has an eye for design. I enjoy seeing how her garden unfolds each year as she always has new ideas. It is my pleasure to give you a glimpse into Ruthie’s garden.

The Hubbard home sits on a hilltop in Lakebottom surrounded by an expansive garden. Ruthie has done a good job over the years of simplifying her plantings for more manageable upkeep. The low-maintenance groundcovers she uses include Mondo Grass, Asiatic Jasmine, English Ivy and Variegated Vinca. Other than an occasional light trim, these plants are virtually pest resistant and take care of themselves. The grass, Emerald Zoysia, serves as the primary groundcover. It has a thin blade and offers a formal appearance. It does well in this garden as it gets a good mix of sun and shade.

Tried and true shrubs anchor the garden. Formal hedges have been formed using the likes of Yaupon Hollies and Japanese Boxwoods. The use of softer foliage perennials such as Autumn Ferns and Holly Ferns offer texture contrast. These are among the best ferns for our area as both are evergreen and require little care. I also like the use of softer foliage shrubs, including Variegated Pittosporum and Cleyera. These both thrive in a fair amount of shade.

Shrubs offering flowers make for wonderful seasonal accents throughout the garden. As you might imagine, this historic garden has many Azaleas and Camellias. One of my favorites, a newer Camellia named “Shi-Shi Gashira,” is used as a groundcover and offers spectacular fall color. This is a miniature variety with a high degree of pest resistance. Gardenias, both creeping and upright, are used throughout the garden as well. Gardenias offer beautiful white flowers, but do require occasional spraying during the summer months to keep white flies away.

An assortment of flowering perennials add color and texture to the garden as well. Lady Banks Rose grows on an arbor and doubles as a cover to soften stonework. Creeping Fig is also used effectively for this purpose. I like the mixture of perennials along with evergreen plant material in raised beds to give an English garden appeal. Perennials used include Shasta Daisy, Goldsturm Rudbeckia, Mexican Bush Sage and Purple Coneflowers, to name a few. Accents of annual color including Vinca and Impatiens complete the beds.

This garden is no stranger to longlived, beautiful trees. The Crape Myrtles have been allowed to grow naturally and provide awesome structure. If you have any doubt as to whether you should prune your Crape Myrtles, check out the picture of the branching structure on these! Maples also adorn the garden with beautiful orange and red fall color. Large Oaks majestically stand over areas providing additional structure, not to mention protection from the sun for the shade-loving plant varieties.

Hopefully the photos will give you a feel for this historic garden. It occurs to me that when you have a garden with so many positive attributes that it can be featured in late fall or early winter, you must be dealing with a winner.